Blog Post #4 EOTO: The Newspaper

The history of the newspaper spans over two millennia, evolving from rudimentary handwritten notices
in ancient Rome to the mass-produced dailies of the industrial age. This evolution stems from shifts in public needs and is connected by key developments. This includes the Roman Acta Diurna, the Venetian avvisi, the early printed newspapers of Johann Carolus, and the rise of the American penny press in the 19th century. Together, these milestones make up the evolution of the newspaper into a public commodity and the birth of modern journalism.

The earliest known form of a public news bulletin was the Acta Diurna, or “Daily Acts” of ancient Rome. First published in 59 BCE under the direction of Julius Caesar, these daily records were etched into stone or metal and posted in public spaces like the Roman Forum. The Acta Diurna included information about official acts and even entertainment such as astrological readings. There are no surviving copies of Acta Diurna. The Roman innovation of daily bulletins was one of the first examples of a core function of the modern newspaper: reaching a broad audience through written word.

From 1500-1700, handwritten newsletters known as avvisi began circulating in Venice. These reports, were written by government officials or merchants and provided intelligence on political and military news. Unlike the Acta Diurnia, which served primarily as state communication, avvisi were produced for private subscribers who paid for access to strategic information. While the avvisi were only for the elite audience, it still paved the way for the paid-reader style of modern newspapers.

Following the invention of the printing press, the spread of copied word without having to handwrite became significantly easier. This technological breakthrough paved the way for the first printed newspaper, Johann Carolus’s Account of All Distinguished and Commemorable News. Being the first newspaper, it set the path forward for what future newspapers would model themselves as. Carolus combined news content with the ability to send it widespread using a printing press, and made newspapers a reality across Europe. All across Europe, major cities were publishing newspapers of their own that brought information to many people, (though still limited to a higher paying class).

Despite their widespread use, early newspapers were still

expensive and were purchased by the elite class. This changed dramatically with the penny press in the United States during the 1830s. Made popular by papers like Benjamin Day’s New York Sun, the penny press slashed the price of newspapers to one cent, making them affordable to the growing working class. These papers emphasized sensational stories, crime reporting, human-interest features, and accessible language, broadening the newspaper’s appeal. As printing technology improved, the penny press became more and more possible, and eventually led to what I believe was the most important shift in newspaper culture, the transfer from elite class only to the everyman. The penny press gave the working class access to the same information as the elites had been getting and made advertisements in the newspapers a real source of income.real source of income.

From carved tablets in ancient Rome to the street vendors selling penny-press-papers of industrial-era cities, the newspaper's evolution displays profound changes in society’s communication infrastructure. The Acta Diurnia established the concept of daily public information, while avvisi introduced a subscription-based, regularly updated format. Johann Carolus's printed newspaper utilized the printing press to abandon handwritten news, and the penny press expanded the newspaper’s audience and influence. Together, these developments trace the newspaper’s trajectory from exclusive record to mass medium, shaping the way societies access and engage with the world around them.